Inspiration Meets Teach-spiration with 50 Back to School Ideas for Your Best Year Ever!
As the new school year approaches, teachers everywhere are gearing up for another exciting and challenging journey with their students. To help you hit the ground running, we've compiled a list of 50 innovative and practical back-to-school ideas designed to make your transition into the classroom as smooth and enjoyable as possible and get the most from the rest of your summer break.
From stocking up on essential supplies and organizing your lesson plans to creating a welcoming classroom environment and implementing new teaching strategies, these tips cover everything you need to start the year off right. Whether you're a seasoned educator or a new teacher, you'll find inspiration from at least one of these ideas – guaranteed!
50 Back to School Ideas
- Stock Up on Supplies:
- Take advantage of summer sales to stock up on classroom essentials like pencils, notebooks, and art supplies.
- Ice Breaking Activities:
- Use AI to generate new ice-breaking activities for the first day of school.
- Classroom Decor:
- Plan and create a welcoming classroom environment with themed decor and motivational posters.
Tip: Teach Junkie has free downloadable posters.
- Bulletin Boards:
- Design interactive bulletin boards to engage students from day one.
- Organize Lesson Plans:
- Prepare and organize your lesson plans for the first few weeks of school.
- Create a Mix and Match Wardrobe:
- Put together a comfortable and functional wardrobe that allows for easy mixing and matching.
Tip: Bookmark Teach-spiration Threads, as new Trendy Teacher Style is added frequently.
- Technology Setup:
- Ensure all classroom technology is set up and ready to use.
- Parent Communication:
- Draft a welcome letter to parents introducing yourself and your teaching philosophy.
- Student Welcome Kits:
- Create welcome kits for students with essential supplies and a personal note.
Tip: Teaching with Aris has information on welcome kits. Head to the blog post and provide your name and email and you’ll receive kit labels and parent contact forms for free.
- Classroom Library:
- Organize and update your classroom library with new books.
- Learning Centers:
- Set up learning centers or stations for various subjects.
- Classroom Rules:
- Establish and clearly display classroom rules and expectations.
- Seating Arrangement:
- Plan your classroom seating arrangement to maximize engagement and learning.
- Professional Development:
- Participate in summer professional development workshops or courses.
- Classroom Management Plan:
- Develop a classroom management plan that outlines procedures and routines.
- New Teaching Strategies:
- Research and incorporate new teaching strategies and methodologies.
- Student Surveys:
- Prepare student surveys to learn about their interests and learning styles.
- Classroom Jobs:
- Assign classroom jobs to promote responsibility and teamwork.
- Interactive Notebooks:
- Create interactive notebooks for subjects like math, science, and language arts.
Tip: We Are Teachers has a great article with examples of interactive notebooks.
- STEM Activities:
- Plan STEM activities to engage students in hands-on learning.
- Growth Mindset Activities:
- Incorporate growth mindset activities to encourage perseverance and resilience.
- Cultural Awareness:
- Plan activities that promote cultural awareness and inclusivity.
- Classroom Cleanliness:
- Organize a classroom cleaning day to start the year with a fresh space.
- Teacher Collaboration:
- Collaborate with other teachers to share ideas and resources.
- Parent Volunteers:
- Recruit parent volunteers to assist with classroom activities and events.
- Field Trip Planning:
- Plan educational field trips for the school year.
- Student Portfolios:
- Create student portfolios to track progress and showcase work.
Tip: Canva has some fun student portfolio templates that’ll get you started.
- Classroom Pets:
- Consider introducing a classroom pet to teach responsibility and care.
- Flexible Seating:
- Implement flexible seating options to accommodate different learning styles.
- Student Goal Setting:
- Help students set academic and personal goals for the school year.
- Mindfulness Activities:
- Incorporate mindfulness activities to promote mental well-being.
Tip: Positive Psychology as some great ideas for mindfulness activities for children and teens.
- Interactive Whiteboard:
- Explore new ways to use your interactive whiteboard for engaging lessons.
- Art Integration:
- Integrate art projects into your curriculum to enhance creativity.
- Reading Challenges:
- Organize reading challenges to motivate students to read more.
- Classroom Playlist:
- Create a classroom playlist with calming and focus-enhancing music.
- Themed Days:
- Plan themed days to make learning fun and exciting.
- Guest Speakers:
- Invite guest speakers to share their expertise with students.
- Classroom Plants:
- Add plants to your classroom to create a calming environment.
- Teacher Self-Care:
- Prioritize self-care to ensure you are at your best for your students.
- Virtual Learning Tools:
- Familiarize yourself with virtual learning tools in case of remote learning needs.
- Classroom Games:
- Stock up on educational games for indoor recess and learning activities.
- Outdoor Learning:
- Plan outdoor learning activities to take advantage of good weather.
- Student Leadership:
- Encourage student leadership through class projects and roles.
- Classroom Traditions:
- Establish classroom traditions to build a sense of community.
- Writing Prompts:
- Prepare a list of writing prompts for journaling and creative writing.
- Technology Integration:
- Plan ways to integrate technology into your lessons effectively.
- Back-to-School Night:
- Prepare for back-to-school night with parents and guardians.
- Classroom Economy:
- Set up a classroom economy to teach financial literacy.
- Daily Warm-Ups:
- Create daily warm-up activities to start each day with a learning focus.
Tip: This article by Oxford University Press has some great ideas for back to school warm ups for your new class.
- Reflect and Adjust:
- Reflect on the previous year and make adjustments for a successful new year.